i've just finished a build recently and only now have i tallied all the costs up- it almost made me faint. i'm a bit hesitant to race such an expensive bike, but building another bike exclusively for racing would only add to the issue. i wasn't intent on racing, but somewhere along the way...

i've got 2 bikes. one i use to commute with- and this bike gets locked up for hours on occasion, and the other was supposed to be my sunday bike. i'm thinking about building up a race bike to be thrashed and crashed.

so, do you have a bike exclusively built for racing and have another "sunday" bike"?

I ride this one everyday
I race this one every race with the occasional shakedown ride prior to the races. I don't have a bike that I'm scared to race, which is why I don't put a ton of money into my bikes. I'd be sick if I wrecked a 6K bike. I like my aluminum frames.

I think its more common for people to have a new/nice bike that they use for racing and an older race bike that they use for training and "everyday" riding. Some people have multiple race bikes for different types of races (i.e. crits vs. RRs).

"When you are chewing the bars at the business end of a 90 mile road race you really dont care what gear you have hanging from your bike so long as it works."ΛΧΑ ΔΞ179 - 15% off your first Hammer Nutrition order!

I have one bike to train on and that I use for RR and circuit races, basically anything except crits (look 595)
Another to do crits with, Higher BB, smaller frame, lower position, much cheaper. (system six)
Then I have a fixie for commuting (KHS flite 100, again cheap)
Then I am looking at TT bikes right now because next year there are 4-5 stage races with TT that I want to do and I'm going to need one eventually anyway.

I think its more common for people to have a new/nice bike that they use for racing and an older race bike that they use for training and "everyday" riding. Some people have multiple race bikes for different types of races (i.e. crits vs. RRs).

I dont know of anybody that does this.

Please remember that all statements unless quoted, are strictly my opinion of what happened. That there are as many opinions as there are spectators attending. I just choose to publish mine on this forum. And would NEVER intend to purposely hurt or discredit any other cyclist.... With that said... HTFU!

2. Primary training bike: 2002 Trek 5500 with PT rear hub and raceblade fenders when necessary. It has a triple and gatorskins. It's light and reliable enough to race, too as I did for the Battenkill-Roubaix and a few training crits. It was on the trainer most of the winter, too. I beat the crap out of this bike and cant wait to destroy it so I can get a SOMA Smoothie. It has nearly the same position as the race bike and the same pedals saddle and H-bars. Having identical positions on 2 bikes has been very helpful.
3500 miles a year.

3. Race Bike: c-dale caad7 with Easton aero carbon tubulars. couldnt ask for more bike than this. it never leaves me feeling like "it's the bikes fault". I use clinchers for certain races (horrible weather or scary, less-significant crits...). 1500? miles a year

4. Fixed gear conversion. sweet 1984 Japanese frame with armadillos and full fenders. put 2000 miles on her this winter and now she rests rusty in the basement. Great memories...

Teammates-on-Podium O'meter: 0/n (n=total # of teammates I get to race with)
Successful Breakaway O'meter: 0/total number of races entered

"When you are chewing the bars at the business end of a 90 mile road race you really dont care what gear you have hanging from your bike so long as it works."ΛΧΑ ΔΞ179 - 15% off your first Hammer Nutrition order!

I currently have two road bikes - my primary racing/training bike, and a rain bike. The rain bike is not because I won't ride my primary bike in the rain, it has full fenders for the benefit of training partners that draft behind me. I had a fixed gear that I sold - I'm looking for a new one. And I also have a mountain bike that I ride occasionally.

My next road bike will probably be a proper 'Sunday bike' for cruising the back roads quickly with a modicum of comfort. Likely a Moots or Hamsten or such. In the meantime I beat the holy hell out of my CR1.

Basically correct. If you build a bike because you think you are going to crash, you probably will crash. That's my interpretation of bad Karma and I'm sticking to it.

Race with the intention of staying upright -- don't race thinking that you're bound to crash.

When you can grab the spoke nipple out of my hand...

i understand your point but i disagree. i used to race motorcycles, and we used to say that it wasn't a matter of "will i crash?", it was a matter of when- and "when i do, hopefully it won't hurt to badly". perhaps it's different in bicycle racing (most probably it is because getting in front is a matter of having more motor, not beating someone to the apex with an out-braking move), but still crashes happen. i don't line up thinking that i'm going to crash when i race, but surely, sometimes it's in the back of my mind, and it's silly not to take precautionary measures- isn't that why there's a helmet on your head?

i'm not some sissy worried about crashing all the time , if it does happen, i'd rather crash a bike that i didn't care about as much.